NFL Player News

Drake gained 56 yards and scored a touchdown on four carries in Saturday's 34-31 overtime victory over the Bills. He also gained 39 yards on his sole kickoff return.

The rookie turned in a nifty piece of running early in the second quarter, pivoting out from a pile and rumbling down the right side of the field for a 45-yard touchdown, the second of his career. Drake's 56 rushing yards were also a career high, and he's now received a combined nine carries over the last two games.

Michael carried four times for four yards Saturday against the Vikings.

Green Bay running backs handled only 13 carries Saturday and most of them went to Michael's teammate, Ty Montgomery. Expect the workload out of the backfield in Week 17 against the Lions to follow a similar distribution.

Rawls is questionable to return to Saturday's game versus the Cardinals due to a shoulder injury, Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio KJR reports.

Instead of Rawls, the Seahawks positioned reserve Alex Collins in the backfield on their first possession after halftime. The severity of the injury remains unknown, but Rawls ended the first half with eight carries for eight yards.

Hillman rushed nine times for six yards, and failed to haul in either of his two targets in Saturday's 20-17 loss to the Browns.

Hillman took the reins in the backfield for a while as Kenneth Farrow exited briefly due to a shoulder injury, and otherwise split snaps with the rookie throughout. His extra playing time with starter Melvin Gordon (hip/knee) out didn't amount to anything, though, as the journeyman running back managed a disastrous 0.7 yards per attempt against the league's second-worst run defense.

Grant rushed nine times for 27 yards, and caught one of three targets for five more in Saturday's 38-17 win over the Titans.

Grant split carries with Chris Ivory after T.J. Yeldon left the game early on due to an ankle injury. The second-year running back out of Auburn came in with 15 yards on five carries in 2016, and tied his season average with 3.0 yards per attempt here. Expect a similar workload for Grant next week in Indianapolis if Yeldon is unable to suit up.

Kelley rushed the ball 19 times for 76 yards while hauling in two receptions for six yards in Saturday's win over the Bears.

Kelley was the only active running back that failed to score Saturday, as both Chris Thompson and Mack Brown reached pay dirt in the contest. The starter rebounded from a quiet performance in Week 15, where he was limited to just eight yards rushing. While he didn't find the end zone, his 76 rushing yards were the highest total since Week 11. Look for Kelley to continue to split reps with Chris Thompson in the season-finale tilt with the Giants next Sunday.

Sims should see an increase in touches with Doug Martin (coach's decision) declared a surprise inactive for Saturday's Week 16 tilt versus the Saints.

The third-year back will likely cede much of the early-down work to Jacquizz Rodgers, but is likely to see a boost in overall touches with Martin out of the picture. Sims still profiles most prominently in the passing game, yet could approach the season-high 15 carries he tallied in Week 4 versus the Broncos.

Rodgers is slated for a significant boost in touches in Saturday's Week 16 tilt versus the Saints given Doug Martin's surprising inactive status.

Rodgers' Week 16 fantasy outlook received a major upgrade the minute that Doug Martin was declared a surprise inactive, as he'll presumably handle a bulk of the early-down carries Saturday against the Saints. Rodgers provided excellent returns while filling in for Martin earlier in the season, and given a relatively favorable matchup, he could provide some unexpectedly stellar returns for owners who are still carrying him on their rosters during championship week.

Martin (coach's decision) is a surprise inactive against the Saints in Saturday's Week 16 tilt, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The news ranks as the most surprising of the day, considering that Martin's absence is based solely on head coach Dirk Koetter's decision and not any injury. The fifth-year pro has struggled to find running room this season, but has generally looked strong and decisive when carrying the ball. His status leaves Jacquizz Rodgers, Charles Sims and Peyton Barber as the backfield options for the Bucs in a game key to the team's playoff chances.

Jones (coach's decision) is inactive for Saturday's Week 16 tilt versus the Bears, the team's official site reports.

Jones will once again cede the backfield work to Rob Kelley and Chris Thompson, as he remains buried behind the pair on the depth chart.